Somatic Psychotherapy — Holistic Clinical Healing in California
You feel alone in your pain. Maybe even shame. The quiet assumption that you are broken — and that others aren’t. That somehow everyone else knows how to move through their lives while you remain here, under the weight of it. Stuck. Misunderstood. Like you can’t move from this place under a rock.
You are not broken. And you are not alone in feeling this way.
Your aloneness is asking for your presence. Your pain is needing your love, your tenderness. Your body — which has been storing and feeling all of this, even when you dissociate, even when you don’t pay attention — is calling for your awareness. Sometimes even calling for you to ignite it out of its stuckness in pain.
It is asking you to listen and attend to it the way you would for someone you deeply care about and love.
This is what somatic psychotherapy makes possible.
Coming Out of Hypnosis
We are often hypnotized by our conditioning — by the experiences, hurts, and adaptations that have shaped how we move through the world. We mistake them for who we are.
As you land in your body, something shifts. It becomes easier to differentiate — what’s past from what’s here. The feelings that were so devastating in childhood — the powerlessness, the hopelessness, the despair — are they as overwhelming today? Or are you actually much more capable, mature, stronger than that story has led you to believe?
This doesn’t mean your sadness, grief, anger, or fear goes away. It means you untangle the weight and charge of those emotions from the past. You recognize that your feelings — as hard as they may be — are bearable. That you may have within you all that you have been searching for.
The capacity to be here for yourself.
To feel your grief and find the sweetness in it. The compassion that arises when you feel scared. The anger that becomes courage and clarity.
What You Discover
As you connect more to your inner capacities and resilience, the feelings you once avoided become a doorway — to greater self-intimacy, to a different relationship with yourself.
Not that you are broken. But that you are worthy of your own attention and care. That you are not who you thought you were — not the stories. You are actually more capable. An adult who has made it here, to this moment in your life, carrying more than you know.
What emerges is not a technique or a coping strategy. It is something more real:
An inner knowing and wisdom that begins to show up when you listen. A care and kindness that extends not only toward others but toward yourself. An emotional maturity that allows you to attend to your feelings — to receive the messages in them instead of avoiding them. A patience, because the body moves at the speed of the real and cannot be rushed.
This is not about managing your life better. It is about living it more fully as yourself.
Who Finds Their Way Here
People arrive carrying many things — grief, the loss of a loved one or a life they thought they were building. Relationship pain, the slow erosion of a marriage, the complexity of family. A critical inner voice that has become so familiar it feels like the truth. Burnout. Loneliness. Anger. A loss of confidence so gradual it was almost invisible.
And underneath all of it — something seeking. Something that brought them here, even if they can’t yet name what it is.
The First Step
You don’t need the right words to begin. You don’t need to have your story figured out or your goals figured out.
You only need the willingness to slow down and listen.
If you feel ready to explore body-based healing, I offer a free 20-minute consultation — a chance to simply meet, to talk about where you are, and to sense together whether this feels like the right path forward.
If something in these words has touched you — even if you can’t explain why — that is enough reason to reach out.
Yes. Many high-functioning adults feel stuck despite their success. Somatic psychotherapy helps you move beyond talking about your stress to actually meeting it in the body — where it lives. It is particularly effective for chronic anxiety, burnout, grief, relationship pain, and the weight of cultural expectations. By shifting the focus from your story to your felt sense, we create lasting change that traditional talk therapy often cannot reach.
This is trauma-informed work — meaning we move at the pace your system can genuinely integrate, without pushing or overwhelming.
Do you work with individuals, or only couples/families?
I primarily work with individual adults. While my license is as a Marriage and Family Therapist, my 20-year practice is focused on deep, one-on-one work. I help individuals navigate their internal world, resolve personal history, and build a more authentic relationship with themselves.
What does "Somatic" mean in the context of our sessions?
Yes. Many high-functioning adults feel stuck despite their success. Somatic psychotherapy helps you move beyond talking about your stress to actually meeting it in the body — where it lives. This is trauma-informed work — meaning we move at the pace your system can genuinely integrate, without pushing or overwhelming. Through body-based awareness and nervous system regulation, we create lasting change that traditional talk therapy often cannot reach. It is particularly effective for chronic anxiety, burnout, grief, relationship pain, and the weight of cultural expectations.
What should I expect from therapy?
Therapy here doesn’t look like analyzing your past until you understand it. It looks like slowing down enough to hear what your body is actually saying right now. We work with what is present — the sensations, the feelings, the places where you feel stuck or contracted — and we let that lead. You don’t need to perform your healing or arrive with the right words. You just need to show up.
How is Somatic Psychotherapy different from Psychospiritual Integration?
While Psychospiritual Integration focuses on spiritual evolution and the inquiry into essence, somatic psychotherapy is a clinical, depth-oriented path focused on your psychological and emotional wellbeing. This work is for those looking to resolve personal history, regulate their nervous system, and find stability and presence in daily life.
If you are unsure which path is right for you, a free 20-minute consultation is the best place to start. We will find the right fit together.
How long are sessions?
Each therapy session typically lasts 45 to 50 minutes.
How often should I attend sessions?
Most people find weekly sessions most effective. Weekly meetings provide time to integrate insights, practice new skills, and address challenges as they arise. For some, less frequent sessions every few weeks work well as the work deepens. We will tailor the frequency to what best supports your process.
How much do therapy sessions cost?
Therapy sessions are $250 for 45–50 minutes.
I understand financial situations vary and offer reduced fees for those with financial need. Please feel free to discuss this with me privately.
Payment can be made via all major credit cards, including HSA cards.
Do you offer online therapy?
Yes — all sessions are held virtually via secure telehealth, available exclusively to adults residing in California. Whether you are in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, or anywhere across the state, online somatic therapy offers the same depth and presence as in-person work — often more, because you are already in your own space.
If you are searching for a somatic therapist in El Cerrito, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, or anywhere across California, virtual sessions offer the same grounded, present-centered experience as meeting in person.
Do you accept insurance?
I’m not currently in-network with insurance providers. However, if you have out-of-network benefits, I can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. Coverage varies, so please check with your insurance provider about telehealth sessions and out-of-network reimbursement for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists.
What is the cancellation policy?
Please provide at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. Cancellations made with less than 48 hours’ notice will be charged the full session fee.
What if I have more questions?
If you have more questions, feel free to contact me anytime with your questions or to schedule a consultation. I’m here to support you every step of the way.
Good Faith Estimate
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 985-3059.
